308 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  1'2.  IPOO. 
agitation  it  is  impossible  to  say,  as  only  members  of  the  Council  can 
know  the  nature  of  the  negotiations  entered  upon,  or  arrangements 
made,  in  relation  to  the  new  gardens  and  the  talked-of  school  of  horti¬ 
culture.  But  whilst  many  Fellows  may  think  that  all  this  anxiety  is 
a  little  overdone,  no  one  can  for  a  moment  doubt  but  that  it  is  genuine, 
and  aroused  entirely  by  profound  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the 
society. 
It  is,  however,  worthy  of  note  that  whatever  may  be  opinions  with 
resjject  to  what  is  now  being  done  in  obtaining  new  gardens  by  the 
council,  that  the  splendid  position  the  society  now  occupies  has  been 
attained  to  chiefly  by  the  present  administrators,  and  that  fact  should 
do  much  to  establish  confidence  in  them  now.  Never  in  all  its  long 
history  has  the  society  stood  higher,  had  a  wider  sphere  of  operations, 
more  Fellows,  or  done  such  splendid  horticultural  work  as  it  is  doing  at 
present.  That  fact  needs  just  now  to  be  impressed  upon  timid  Fellows 
when  they  seem  disposed  to  become  somewhat  hysterical  in  referring 
to  the  action  of  the  council.  Now,  as  a  Fellow,  I  prefer  to  place 
some  confidence  in  the  wisdom  of  a  governing  body  that  has  done  so 
much  to  place  the  society  in  its  present  eminent  position.  Of  this  1  feel 
assured,  that  in  any  arrangements  now  being  made  in  reference  to 
acquiring  a  new  garden  or  even  of  assisting  in  establishing  a  school  of 
horticulture,  that  nothing  will  be  done  hastily,  but  that  the  fullest 
consideration  will  be  given  to  every  fact.  Still  further,  that  in  whatever 
is  done,  the  council  will  place  before  all  other  considerations  the  advance, 
mentof  horticulture. — F.  B.  H.  S. 
- ^ - e.#** - ^ - 
Eicliardia  aetliiopica. 
The  cultivation  of  these  plants  is  by  no  means  difficult ;  they 
delight  in  a  rich  open  compost  and  a  liberal  supply  of  water  during 
the  season  of  growth.  Their  elegant  and  pleasing  appearance  admi¬ 
rably  adapts  them  for  conservatory  and  indoor  adornment,  either  in 
groups  or  as  single  specimens.  The  large  white  spathes  last  a  con- 
siderable  time  when  cut,  and  are  thus  extremely  useful  for  decorative 
purposes,  used  when  possible  along  with  their  natural  foliage.  Arum 
Lilies  (fig.  85)  may  be  had  in  blooih  at  a  time  when  flowers  are  some¬ 
what  scarce,  and  on  that  account  are  all  the  more  valuable. 
There  are  two  or  three  different  methods  of  culture.  Some  culti¬ 
vators  prefer  to  keep  their  plants  growing  continually  throughout  the 
year,  allowing  them  no  rest  whatever  during  the  summer  months. 
In  this  case  the  stock  should  be  planted  out  about  18  inches  apart 
immediately  after  flowering,  in  land  that  has  been  well  manured, 
giving  an  abundance  of  water  during  dry  periods.  About  the  middle 
of  September  they  must  be  carefully  lifted  and  repotted  with  as  little 
injury  to  the  roots  as  possible,  and  placed  inside  out  of  the  reach  of 
frost.  This  system  entails  more  labour,  and  gives  no  better  results  than 
when  the  plants  are  allowed  a  rest. 
When  the  plants  are  to  be  rested  they  should  be  put  outside  during 
the  first  or  second  week  in  June  in  a  position  where  they  will  obtain  all 
the  available  sun.  Gradually  diminish  the  supply  of  water  until  the 
plants  have  lost  their  foliage,  when  it  should  be  withhe'd  altogether 
and  the  pots  turned  on  their  sides.  About  the  middle  of  August  they 
will  show  signs  of  fresh  growth.  They  must  be  repotted  before  they 
are  very  far  advanced.  Shake  away  the  old  soil  and  rub  off  all  suckers, 
leaving  only  one  crown  to  each  rhizome.  The  size  of  pots  required  will 
be  governed  by  the  condition  of  the  roots  and  the  purposes  for  which 
they  are  to  be  employed,  pots  varying  from  7  to  9  inches  in  diameter 
being  used,  with  from  one  to  three  plants  in  a  pot.  When  repotting  the 
base  of  the  new  growth  should  be  buried  about  half  an  inch  deep. 
The  compost  may  consist  of  three  parts  of  good  loam,  two  parts  of 
decayed  manure,  adding  a  little  bonemeal  and  soot,  with  sufficient 
sand  to  keep  the  whole  porous.  Stand  the  plants  outside  in  a  shady 
position,  and  keep  the  soil  moist  by  gentle  waterings  with  a  rosed  can. 
Towards  the  end  of  September  it  will  be  necessary  to  place  the 
plants  inside  beyond  the  reach  of  frost.  Any  cool  house  will  answer 
the  purpose  provided  they  receive  all  the  light  possible,  they  will  then 
make  steady  progress  without  being  drawn*  ,  As  soon  as  they  have 
got  well  into  growth  liquid  manure  from  the  cowhouses  may  be  given 
in  limited  quantities  two  or  three  times  a  week,  with  an  occasional 
application  of  some  fertiliser.  Soot  water  is  an  excellent  manure, 
imparting  a  deep  green  colour  to  the  foliage.  It  does  not  encourage 
gross  growth,  and  the  presence  of  ammonia  in  the  house  is  not  so 
perceptible  as  from  liquid  manure  from  cowsheds.  If  the  plants  can 
be  given  a  temperature  of  45°  the  earliest  will  commence  to  bloom 
about  February,  and  the  supply  will  be  continued  until  the  end  of 
May  or  June. — S.  P. 
Hardy  Annuals. 
(.Concluded  from  page  242.) 
Whilst  providing  for  a  good  patch  it  is  advisable  not  to  sow 
too  thickly,  though  it  is  better  to  have  to  thin  than  re  sow  or  trans¬ 
plant.  When  sown  very  thickly  it  is  hardly  possible  to  thin  the 
patches  without  injuring  the  remaining  plants.  When  the  seeds  are 
sown  draw  the  earth  over  them,  covering  them  no  deeper  than  their 
own  diameter.  It  is  better  to  cover  lightly  than  dee[)ly,  for  annuals 
do  not  require  to  be  kept  or  placed  in  so  much  darkness  as  farinaceous 
seeds.  It  is  sufScient  if  the  seeds  are  just  covered  with  soil,  or  kept 
in  the  dark,  so  that  the  chemical  changes  which  take  place  in  germina¬ 
tion  may  go  on.  If  the  ground  is  dry,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  water  the 
patches,  and  cover  them  with  inverted  flower  pots,  so  as  to  secure 
uniform  moisture  in  the  soil,  and  obviate  the  necessity  of  repeated 
waterings.  The  sun’s  rays,  consequently,  will  not  bake  or  dry  the 
surface,  and  the  inverted  pots  placed  over  the  patches  will  absorb  heat 
by  day  and  radiate  it  at  night,  so  that  the  seeds  will  not  be  roasted  at 
one  time  and  frozen  at  the  other.  When  the  plants  appear  the  pots 
should  be  removed,  but  they  may  be  replaced  with  advantage  on 
frosty  nights,  taking  care  to  remove  them  by  the  time  the  soil  is 
thawed. 
Where  the  soil  is  of  a  tehacious  nature,  and  at  all  rough  at  the 
time  of  sowing,  it  is  a  good  practice  to  cover  the  seeds  lightly  with 
some  light  soil,  which  should  be  fine,  or  made  so  by  sifting.  Care 
must  be  taken  in  open  soils  to  well  pulverise  them  before  sowing  the 
seeds,  for  it  not  infrequently  happens  that  the  seeds  run  down  the 
openings,  and  are  lost  for  that  year  at  least,  by  being  buried  too 
deeply  in  the  soil.  Where  any  danger  of  this  is  appreheodeo,  a  small 
portion  of  sifted  mould  ought  to  be  placed  on  the  soil  for  the  seed  to  be 
sown  on.  The  seeds  of  some  annuals  are  so  small  that  it  is  scarcely 
possible  to  cover  them  too  thinly,  but  none  will  take  harm  if  covered 
to  no  greater  depth  than  their  own  diameter. 
When  the  seedlings  are  fairly  up  a  ring  of  dry  soot  should  be  placed 
round  each  patch  to  prevent  the  nocturnal  visits  of  slugs,  which  will 
in  a  single  night  devour  a  whole  patch.  If  these  ]rests  are  trouble¬ 
some  some  fresh  Cabbage  leaves,  laid  at  night  near  their  haunts,  and 
examined  in  the  morning,  will  collect  a  great  many ;  and  if  they 
be  brushed  off  the  leaf  into  a  flower  pot,  and  a  little  salt  sprinkled 
over  them,  th*  y  will  not  trouble  the  cultivator  any  more.  This, 
repeated  for  several  nights,  will  soon  rid  a  garden  of  slugs.  Should 
the  weather  be  dry,  the  annuals  must  be  watered,  and  the  ground 
between  the  patches  frequently  stirred  with  a  hoe;  but  a  rake  cannot 
be  too  little  used,  for  the  surface  ought  never  to  be  made  fine,  so  as  to 
throw  off  rain  into  the  hollows.  On  the  contrary,  it  should  give  free 
access  to  air  and  moisture.  The  aim  ot  the  cultivator  must  be  the 
well-being  of  his  plants,  and  Boit  that  neatness  which  is  secured  at  the 
expense  of  their  healthy  growth.  The  longer  the  soil  is  kept  open  the 
more  satisfactory  will  be  the  results.  When  the  plants  are  a  few  inches 
high  they  should  be  thinned,  if -too  thick.  Those  which  attain  to  less 
than  a  foot  in  height  should  be  thinned  to  at  least  an  inch  apart,  and 
those  growing  to  a  greater  height  ought  to  be  at  least  2  or  3  inches 
clear  of  their  neighbours.  The  thinnings  may  be  planted  to  fill  up 
vacant  spaces,  or  to  supply  the  place  of  failures.  Showery  weather  is 
the  best  for  thinning  annuals. 
As  the  plants  advance  in  growth  care  should  be  taken  to  stake 
such  as  require  support,  and  to  place  wire  trellises  for  climbers,  or 
sticks  for  them  to  cliiig  to,  before  the  one  be  broken  by  the  winds,  or 
the  other  spoiled  and  leggy  from  creeping  on  the  surface.  In  dry 
weather  the  borders  should  be  well  watered,  and  the  surface  between 
the  patches  frequently  stirred  to  keep  down  weeds  and  keep  the 
s  .rface  open;  and  this  stirring  is  best  done  before  the  plants  feel  the 
effects  of  drought,  or  the  surface  becomes  baked  or  smothered  with 
weeds.  It  is  too  late  to  water  annuals  when  they  have  become 
stunted  in  growth,  and  surface  stirrings  after  this  has  taken  place 
are  vain.  They  may  indeed  improve,  but  the  best  plan  is  to  act 
so  that  there  is  little  to  wish  for.  When  they  are  in  flower  they 
should,  if  the  weather  is  dry,  be  weU  supplied  with  water.  It  will 
much  prolong  their  period  of  bloom,  the  flowers  will  be  larger, 
and  the  pleasure  derived  from  them  will  be  ten  times  greater  than 
when  they  are  grown  in  places  altogether  unsuited  to  their  proper 
development. 
In  sowing  annuals  due  regard  must  be  paid  to  the  habit  of  each 
kind  and  the  height  to  which  it  attains.  Those  of  trailing  and  dwarl- 
growing  habit  should  be  sown  in  front,  and  the  others  distributed  at 
such  distances  from  them  as  their  heights  may  determine.  Half  the 
height  which  any  variety  grows  to  is  the  proper  distance  to  leave 
between  the  patches  or  rows.  The  tallest  should,  of  c  mrse,  be  sown 
at  the  back,  and  the  height  gradually  diminished  towards  the  front. — 
Practice. 
